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Edgar Vhera

Agriculture Specialist Writer

THE Agricultural Marketing Authority (AMA) will this month introduce an innovative farmer card that will serve as a digital identity and financial tool, allowing farmers to access subsidies, discounts and credit facilities.

It is embedded with a unique grower identification number, integrated with biometric verification, ensuring security and traceability within the national farmer database management system.

AMA chief executive officer Mr Clever Isaya said the national farmer database management system and farmer card initiatives aligned directly with the Government’s commitment to advancing Zimbabwe’s economy through a modernised and inclusive agricultural sector, underscored by the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe’s (RBZ) Statutory Instrument on financial inclusion.

“This platform and the farmer card are a step towards empowering farmers, enhancing productivity and ensuring that Zimbabwe’s agricultural sector operates on a globally competitive scale.

“The national farmers’ database management system and the farmer’s card respond directly to the President’s vision by providing cutting-edge tools to elevate agricultural operations, financial access and technological integration,” he said.

Registered farmers will immediately benefit from partnerships with organisations such as input stockists to benefit from promotions like discounts on input purchases for registered cardholders, the AMA boss added.

The card also acts as a digital wallet allowing farmers to receive payments for their produce directly into linked bank accounts, access their transaction history and utilise mobile payment solutions.

“This integration of financial services enables farmers to establish credit histories and access formal financing. This is a game-changer for rural communities where traditional banking services are often inaccessible,” he added.

The card and the national farmer database management system represent a leap towards formalising agricultural operations and are designed to provide farmers with access to financial resources, critical market data and enhanced distribution channels.

The national farmers’ database management system is a highly advanced, centralised digital platform developed to capture essential data on crop and livestock production, farmer demographics and farm locations.

This data repository will enable AMA to analyse trends, optimise resource allocation and enhance transparency across the agricultural supply chain.

It is designed as an unstructured supplementary service data and web-based platform accessible via mobile devices, ensuring inclusivity and ease of use for Zimbabwe’s rural farmers.

“This data-driven system offers critical insights for decision-making, benefiting farmers, policymakers, and investors alike,” he added.

These combined initiatives will significantly improve farmers’ ability to access critical resources, purchase inputs at a reduced cost and receive timely market information, positioning them to operate with greater efficiency and profitability.

The national farmers’ database management system and farmers’ card represent a formalised, structured approach to farming in Zimbabwe, a departure from the traditional informal systems that have long dominated the industry.

Agriculture in Zimbabwe has often been characterised by limited access to financial resources, market intelligence and essential inputs. The two technologies will address these challenges head-on, introducing solutions that simplify transactions, reduce costs and facilitate financial inclusion.

The national farmers’ database management system will also support the administration of the stop order system, allowing for seamless processing of stop orders and improving loan repayment processes.

“By offering insights into production trends and crop yields, the system will empower financial institutions to assess creditworthiness more accurately and extend credit to more farmers,” Mr Isaya said.

By combining data-driven decision-making, financial inclusion and market access, AMA’s new platform and card aim to elevate the livelihoods of farmers across Zimbabwe, increase productivity and attract more investment into the sector.